Rybakina rallies past Osaka, books Canadian Open semifinal clash with Gauff

Elena Rybakina engineered a remarkable turnaround on Fri…

Elena Rybakina engineered a remarkable turnaround on Friday, erasing a significant deficit to defeat Naomi Osaka and secure her spot in the Canadian Open semifinals. The Kazakhstani world No. 4 will now face American Coco Gauff, who advanced earlier in the day, with a berth in the championship match on the line.

Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, looked in trouble early as Osaka came out firing, using her powerful groundstrokes to race through the opening set. The former world No. 1 from Japan appeared poised to pull off an upset, breaking Rybakina's serve multiple times and dictating rallies with her trademark aggression.

But the match turned dramatically in the second set. Rybakina steadied her game, sharpening her return and finding more consistency on her first serve. She broke Osaka early and carried that momentum, leveling the match with a dominant display that left her opponent struggling to find answers.

The deciding set became a tense battle, with

The deciding set became a tense battle, with both players holding serve until a pivotal moment in the late stages. Rybakina pressed forward, forcing errors from Osaka and converting a crucial break to close out the match. The final scoreline reflected her resilience, as she improved her career record against Osaka to 3-1.

Up next for Rybakina is a formidable challenge against Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion. Gauff has been in strong form this week in Toronto, and the two have split their last four meetings, with Rybakina winning their most recent encounter in Miami earlier this season. Their semifinal promises a high-stakes showdown between two of the tour's most explosive baseliners.

For Osaka, the loss ends a promising run at her first hard-court event since returning from maternity leave. She showed flashes of her old brilliance, but inconsistency in key moments proved costly. Still, her performance this week signals she remains a dangerous threat as the tour heads toward the US Open. Rybakina, meanwhile, will look to extend her winning streak and capture her second WTA 1000 title of the year on Saturday.